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Arbitrage on a contract capped at twice the stock

Question

A contract VV pays min⁡(2ST,4)\min(2S_T,4) at expiry and is priced at 3.43.4. Also available: European puts struck at 44 (price 2.42.4) and 22 (price 0.80.8), the stock at S0=3S_0=3, and a bond paying 11 at expiry for 0.90.9. Find the arbitrage and report the sum of positions in the order (contract) + (4-strike puts) + (2-strike puts) + (bonds), shorts negative.

Short answer

11. Since min⁡(2ST,4)=4−2(2−ST)+\min(2S_T,4)=4-2(2-S_T)^+, the contract equals four bonds minus two 22-strike puts, worth 3.6−1.6=23.6-1.6=2, well under 3.43.4. Sell VV, buy 44 bonds and sell 22 of the 22-strike puts: −1+0−2+4=1-1+0-2+4=1.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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